in a lodestone: the beginning
by Tomoe Mami
Summary: There are legends of an aura boy with a Pikachu, of a mystical Greninja with a human who pushed it beyond its limits. Who is to say none of those were Sir Aaron? Book 1 of the Renewal trilogy.
1. Reincarnation

Celebi fought hard on the matter, but finally got Arceus and Dialga to agree. The future was a terrible place with the two factions of Red and Green still at war. They had been this way for decades with no hero rising to the challenge to stop them. Might even be that one wasn't born yet and wouldn't be for quite some time. They couldn't wait or there wouldn't be a world for future heroes to be born into. They needed a hero to calm the fighting and Celebi knew the perfect ones for the job.

"Celebi! What are you doing here?" Mew asked her friend, as she appeared before her at the Tree of Beginning.

"You know what I'm here for." Celebi answered as she glanced to the crystalized figure at rest in the heart of the tree.

"It can't be!" Mew exclaimed.

"Yes, he is the only one. Arceus has agreed and so has Dialga. I need a favour from you, though." Celebi requested.

"What?" Mew inquired.

"I need you to sneak into the castle and retrieve the staff of Sir Aaron. He needs Lucario."

"That's all? That's easy! Sure, I'll do it in no time! Back in a flash!" Mew giggled as she teleported out.

Celebi sighed. Her friend always had so much energy and seemed too childish, despite her position of the holder of all genes in the world. Still, Mew would get the staff no problem. She could walk in and take it if she wanted to or teleport out. Celebi looked to the second trapped person she needed. She needed to revive him. Her own temporal powers would allow that, as she would increase the time surrounding him to strengthen the dormant aura inside him until it burst. Thus, she hoped, it would bring him back to full life. She closed her eyes and lifted her arms, surrounding him in a temporal bubble.

Celebi honestly hoped this would work.

* * *

Mew teleported into the castle and floated up toward the light fixture. Now all she needed to do was find Sir Aaron's staff, without getting caught. Seemed easy enough. Mew searched the room she was in and saw nothing.

If she were the queen, where would she put a staff of the aura guardian who gave his life in an attempt to quell the fighting between the two sides? This would be very important and she would want everyone to see it… the main hall which happen to be the throne room!

Mew teleported in and saw no one there. She smiled as this was perfect. She just grabbed the staff and popped out. She then floated down and picked the staff up with Psychic. As she went to turn around and leave, she heard the door.

"Oh my!"

Mew fully turned around and saw the queen standing there. The blonde ruler had her hand over her mouth in shock. From what Mew wasn't sure. It could be the mystical Pokémon floating in the hall or the fact said Pokémon was attempting to steal a treasure of the kingdom.

"Please listen, Your Majesty!" Mew said quickly. "We are trying to revive Sir Aaron, so he may once again try and stop the fighting. No one else but him can do this. We have no time to wait or lose. If we are successful in reviving him, he will need his staff and more importantly… Lucario, who lies trapped inside."

"Are you saying Lucario is in there and this madness can end?"

"Yes."

"I would very much like to see peace, Mew. Please then, take the staff and return our guardian to us, so he may once again try and stop this war."

"Thank you." Mew said, as she bowed to the queen before flying off with the staff trailing behind her.

As she left, the queen kneeled down in front of the painting of Sir Aaron that was finished not that long ago and clasped her hands together. She prayed to Arceus that they would successful and she would be able to see the world at peace.

* * *

An audible humming resonated deep within the Tree of Beginning and the light from the build up of Sir Aaron's aura was almost blinding to look at. Celebi was beginning to struggle to contain the ever-increasing volume of aura inside her bubble and relief flooded through her when her friend finally reappeared. Her eyes fell upon the sceptre clasped in Mew's paws. "You got it!"

"Of course!" Mew pouted, looking almost offended. "Did you really think I'd fail?"

Celebi ignored her comment as she grit her teeth and stared deep into the temporal bubble and its writhing blue contents. Taking deep breathes, she closed her eyes and focused on Sir Aaron's aura. Bringing a human back from the dead was nearly impossible, even for a Legendary. Bringing back a human who'd had his life force torn from his body _was_ impossible. But there was just one thing they could try…

She learned the feel of Sir Aaron's aura. She learned its movements, its colour, its intensity. And then, she opened her eyes, searching across time and space for one who's aura matched his.

It would be impossible to fully resurrect Sir Aaron, but if she could find somebody with a similar aura, there was a chance that she could place Aaron's spirit within their body to reincarnate him. It may not have been perfect, but it was their only chance.

Thousands of lives flashed before her. Eras swept by in a blur, lifetimes cycled from birth to death as she scanned the world to no avail. For a minute, despair begin to well in her chest as she watched auras of all kinds flicker before her eyes, none of which matched the one the world so desperately needed.

And then she found it.

"What is it?" Mew perked up, floating to Celebi's side. "Have you found a matching aura?"

"I have." Celebi responded, numb to the temporal bubble that was threatening to burst at any second. "A perfect match lives."

"That's amazing!" Mew exclaimed, not appearing to notice Celebi's sombre expression.

"He lives four hundred years in the future."

The excited grin melted off Mew's face. Quietly, hopefully, she said: "But… It's all we've got, isn't it?"

Celebi began to nod when the bubble contorted and she grunted, struggling to contain the energy inside. Raising both her hands, she concentrated all her energy on the ball of aura before her and it slowly began to contract. The aura protested, threatening to explode outward as it condensed.

Then, sweat trickling down her body, she pictured the time period in which the hero was to arise in. She pictured his home, his mother's face as he was brought into the world. She pictured the aura that was so similar to that of Sir Aaron's dancing through his body and she pushed the bubble she had created through the stream of time towards him. The aura surrounded him and Celebi let out a breath she wasn't aware she'd been holding as she watched the unborn baby's own body accept it.

It took everything in her power not to slump to the floor right then and there. Mew tentatively approached her, still holding onto the staff she had retrieved. Without a word, Celebi tapped into the excess aura that was still hovering in the air to free the trapped Lucario inside. She could hear him begin to say something when Mew floated down and touched a paw to his forehead, knocking him out.

Celebi held a weary hand over Lucario's body. Lucario's form shifted to that of a Riolu, before curling and hardening into a blue egg. Then, with what little energy she had left, she sent the egg down the same path as she had Sir Aaron's aura.

She slumped to the ground, deaf to Mew's cry of surprise. It had been done. The future lay in his hands now.

* * *

The sky rained fire and a wave of aura burst from his body when Ash Ketchum was born.

Things _would_ change.


	2. Fragments of the Past

Ash was six years old when his life changed forever.

Pallet Town's beach was empty as always, leaving Ash with nothing but the sound of howling wind and crashing waves to keep him company. The sea breeze tugged at the boy's hair as his feet splashed in the ankle-deep water. His mother would have thrown a fit had she seen that he was playing in the ocean chilled by the cool autumn air, but Ash wasn't the kind of boy who pondered too much on the ill-effects the numbing weather would have on his health.

Oblivious to the dark storm clouds pooling on the horizon, he continued to run in and out of the surf, fleeing the icy waves as they broke and spread across the beach. Amongst the damp grey sand, a flash of orange caught his eye. A Krabby had emerged from the sea and curiously, Ash approached it. The aquatic Pokémon took one look at Ash before fleeing, its spindly legs a blur as it scurried toward the boulders and cliffs further inland. A laugh escaped the boy and he gave chase.

The gap between Ash and the Krabby was steadily increasing, before one of the Pokémon's legs hit a stray pebble and the Krabby went flying. It tumbled a few feet before landing on its back, legs waving madly in the air as it struggled to right itself. Ash slowed as he approached it. As the Krabby saw him approach, its eyes widened and its flailing became more frantic.

"Hey, don't worry…" He reached out to flip the Krabby the right way up, but drew his hand away when its sharp pincers got too close for comfort. He looked around, eyes falling on a stick nearby that he wedged under the Pokémon's shell to turn it the right way up.

To show its gratitude, the Krabby made an angry noise and snapped its claws, narrowly missing Ash's fingers before scampering away again. Ash scrambled to his feet and continued his pursuit, chasing it to the base of the nearby cliff and watching it disappear into a crack in a pile of boulders.

Ash crouched before the Krabby's lair, waiting for it to emerge. He had the stick from earlier grasped in his hands in case it tried to snap at him again. Though, much to his disappointment, the Pokémon didn't reappear.

He stood up and was about to turn around to return to the sea when the cliff face was lit up by a flash of blinding green light.

Ash spun around, heart pounding and brandishing his stick as if it were a sword. He expected to find another wild Pokémon; one eager to take advantage of the young and defenceless boy, but saw nothing. His eyes darted around as he tried to pinpoint the source of the light but found nothing.

Something lay before him, half buried in the sand. The fact that Ash hadn't noticed it earlier puzzled him; he was fairly certain he would have noticed the blue sphere, especially when he would have had to step right over it to get where he was standing. Either Ash really was so oblivious that he literally couldn't see what was right in front of him, or something had put it there while he was focused on the Krabby. Maybe the mysterious maker of the green light could have.

He approached it slowly, unable to tear his eyes away. Upon closer inspection, he could see it was more ovoid rather than circular in shape and various shades of blue in colour. A single black band pattern wrapped around it, splitting the blue areas of the object in two. Despite being covered in sand, it gleamed even in the dull sunlight.

Eventually, he couldn't help himself. Curiosity had gotten the better of him and he reached down to touch it. Instantly, fragments of memories assaulted him.

Ash's young mind was battered by pictures and emotions from what appeared to be a past life. He struggled to comprehend the gravity of it all, but knew he felt touched by what this person had done. Tears were pricking at the corners of his eyes, though he fought not to cry.

Ash knew from experience that his homeland was still ravaged by the Red and Green armies. He saw the news reports every single night in which more and more regions were falling to the ever conquering forces. Why couldn't they just be satisfied with Kanto and leave everyone else alone?

His father was an Elite trainer; he hoped Grimsley was helping Unova to try and drive the armies out of there. Ash wondered if he would hear from his father soon.

The egg started giving off a blinding white light and he was flung off of his feet.

Having been caught off guard, Ash sat there for a moment before getting back on his feet. He stared at the egg, dumbfounded at what he'd experienced. The young boy had caught mentions of the name "Sir Aaron" in the memories. Ash hoped he could do his past self proud.

He picked up the egg and cradled it gently in his arms, starting to head back along the shoreline. Ash knew better than to stay out in the open too long, especially when the Red and Green armies controlled Kanto with an iron grasp.

And also, he figured his mother would come looking for him soon when he wasn't back in the house by a certain time. His mother worried for him greatly and he understood that, given the hard times they were forced to endure.

It wasn't that his mother was a controlling person; she just didn't want him on the beach given it was Fall and it was windy. Ash always did his best to not worry his mother and she was grateful for that.

But it seemed he had left leaving the beach a little late, as here was his mother coming up the sand dune now.

* * *

They were at Professor Oak's laboratory now and Delia was watching her son like a hawk as he held the egg.

"Where did you find that egg?" Samuel asked the boy, after putting some research papers away.

Ash blinked and glanced down at the egg. "It was on the beach."

The Professor studied Ash, finding some doubt about his claim. He found it hard to understand why a single egg would be by itself on the beach of Pallet. Where was the mother? He knew neither parent Pokémon would leave their offspring alone like that.

Why was it all alone? "May I please examine the egg, Ash?" Samuel asked the boy, a hand out for the life form. He watched, a faint smile on his face, as Ash reluctantly handed over the egg.

"Please don't hurt him!" He suddenly requested, looking worried for the Pokémon inside.

"You know its gender?" A look of concern passed over Oak's visage. If the gender was known, that made it all the more important to take care of it. "Ash, my boy, how do you know of its gender?"

The boy shook his head, worried people would find him odd. "You can tell me."

"I touched it in the end, after being curious for a bit. As soon as I did that, I started getting all of these pictures in my head: someone called Sir Aaron and his Lucario. But Sir Aaron died and the Pokémon in the egg is a Riolu."

Oak stared, speechless. "My god..."


	3. Hatched

Ash kept the black and blue egg by his bed, wrapped snugly in a nest of blankets. Each night, it was the last thing he saw before he drifted off, the name _Riolu_ echoing in his mind as sleep took him.

Oak had been incredibly interested in Riolu's egg, but Ash refused to let him examine it. Even though he trusted the kindly old professor, something inside Ash urged him to protect the egg at all costs. He couldn't bear to see it fall into somebody else's hands, even if he knew they would do nothing to harm it.

Ash rolled over in bed, staring at the egg shining dimly in the moonlight seeping through his thin curtains. He probably should have felt scared about the egg's mysterious powers that had caused him to see those visions, but somehow, he didn't feel anxious at all. If anything, the presence of the unborn Pokémon seemed to soothe his mind instead.

He closed his eyes and dreamed of knights. He dreamed of wars, of soldiers, of a lone man willing to sacrifice everything for his kingdom; and his loyal Pokémon confined inside his staff, waiting to be freed.

A white light burning behind his eyelids woke him and he sat bolt upright, eyes wide. The egg had turned white in colour and was beginning to twist and distort. A small bipedal figure was formed and the light began to fade away, revealing the newborn Pokémon curled up among the blankets.

Ash crawled out of bed and crept toward the sleeping figure, careful not to wake it. One red eye cracked open and fixed itself on the boy. Its little mouth opened in a yawn and it snuggled deeper in its nest. Ash gingerly reached out to tuck it in. Upon contact with its soft fur, an image flashed through his mind. A Lucario standing tall and proud beside him, power radiating from his form as the two of them faced off against rows of enemies. Ash's cape fluttered in the wind and his grip tightened on the staff in his hand…

In an instant, the image was gone and Ash was left with his heart fluttering, staring down at the slumbering Riolu.

* * *

"Morning, sleepyhead." Delia greeted Ash as he made his way into the kitchen. Her eyes immediately fell on the canine Pokémon that was following him on unsteady new legs. "Oh, who's this?"

"Riolu!" The baby Pokémon chirped before Ash could respond, eyes following the spatula in Delia's hand as she turned the mushroom omelette she was preparing over in the frying pan.

Ash rubbed sleep from his eyes as he sat back at the table, trying his best to keep a tired eye on Riolu in case he tried any funny business. "He hatched last night." He explained, fighting back a yawn. The excitement from having the strange egg finally hatch had kept him awake half the night and the only thing that prevented him from going straight back to bed was the hungry baby he now had on his hands.

"Riolu!" The black and blue Pokémon tried to jump up to grab the plate that Delia was carrying, only for the woman to laugh and hold it higher, out of his reach.

"Oh, no you don't." She chided, setting the omelette down before Ash. "This isn't for you."

" _Aww, why not?_ "

Ash froze, fork almost dropping from his grip. "What did you just say?"

Riolu stared at Ash, seeming confused by the question. " _I spoke using my Aura?_ " The baby Pokémon glanced hungrily at the pancakes again and Delia retrieved some Fighting type Poké Blocks from the cupboard.

"Feel free to these." Ash's mother smiled, filling a small bowl up with the treats.

In truth, she was curious about Riolu's ability, just as her son was. Though her husband was Grimsley of the Elite Four, he was certainly no Aura Guardian. But he was descended from one, from what he had said.

Delia wondered how many generations had passed since the Aura Guardians first appeared. Observing fondly as Riolu scoffed the Poké Blocks like there were no more left in the world, she concluded they had to visit Samuel.

Taking a moment to structure her comment, Delia spoke afterwards. "We will have to return to the Professor's, so he can study Riolu a little. He'll find Aura very fascinating and he might even be able to help you unlock your power, Ash."

"That would be so cool! Thanks, mum."

Delia encouraged her son to finish his meal, which he did, before he went to shower. Running the warm water, Ash stood under the spray for a moment as he collected his thoughts.

 _Will Riolu be my starter? It'd be awesome if he was_. Grabbing the shower head, Ash wet his hair, then dried his eyes. He reached for the bottle of shampoo and squeezed a small amount out. Lathering it all around on his hair, he made sure to keep his eyes shut.

When he had decided it was properly lathered, he took hold of the shower head again.

Rinsing the shampoo out, Ash guided the water all over his head to make sure all of it was completely gone. He was pretty sure it was out, but ran the water over once more to be 100% sure. After that, he washed the rest of his body, before placing the shower head back in its hook.

Ash then got out of the shower and grabbed his spare towel, drying his hair first. Once his hair was as dry as it could be, he reached for his brush and brushed his hair into the style he really liked the best.

After that, the young boy dressed himself and put the bath mat up on the side rack for it to dry out faster. Leaving the shower, Ash hurried out to see his mother still in the kitchen, putting things away from breakfast.

"I can help, mum?" He offered, but Delia turned and smiled.

"It's alright, Ash. I'm almost finished. But thank you for the offer." The woman put away the bowl she had used for Riolu's food and the cutting board, before she straightened. "Finished. Let's head over to the Professor's now, so he can have a look at Riolu."

The mother and son, complete with Riolu, headed to Professor Oak's lab. It was only a short distance from their house, so it wasn't like Riolu would become exhausted.

But Ash didn't want to take any chances; he insisted on carrying the newly hatched Pokémon, despite Riolu's own protests on the matter. Riolu found his 'trainer'… no, master would be a better word… was just as stubborn as himself.

That actually caused the baby Pokémon to smile a little. Riolu realized he liked this about Ash and wondered if he would actually become his starter one day in the future.


	4. experimenting with aura

" _Riolu, the Emanation_ _Pokémon_." Oak's Pokédex chimed. " _Using its mysterious powers, it can detect and analyse the auras of other beings, allowing it to read emotions and communicate telepathically. They have been used as companions by Aura Guardians for millennia_."

"There's that word again." Ash noted as he held Riolu, looking down at the little blue canine. "Aura. What exactly is it?"

Oak placed the Pokédex back on the desk. "This isn't exactly my area of study. But from what I understand, aura is a spiritual energy contained within life forms. According to legend, Aura Guardians were humans with the ability to manipulate and wield aura, though there's little evidence of them existing anymore. Riolu and its evolution have always been an elusive find; it's a wonder that you were able to stumble across a Riolu egg so easily."

Ash felt Riolu restlessly squirm in his grip. He wasn't sure what it was, but something told him that his encounter with the Pokémon egg was far more than him simply 'stumbling across' it. The flashes of memories he had felt when he first touched the egg made him almost certain that it couldn't have been a mere coincidence that he'd crossed paths with it.

"So, it's aura that's letting you talk with me telepathically, isn't it?" Ash guessed, addressing Riolu directly. "How do you do it?"

The Pokémon frowned. " _I don't know. I just…_ " He gestured vaguely. " _… do it, y'know?_ "

"I'm sure for a Riolu, its powers are instinctive." Oak said. "After all, their kind is built to sense and control aura; it's second nature to them."

All this talk about aura and powers was making Ash's head spin. He'd heard stories about the Aura Guardians and their faithful companions maintaining peace and prosperity in kingdoms long ago, but he'd always assumed his real life would be far removed from those old tales.

Oak carried on. "From what I gather, the aura contained in your Riolu's egg reacted to you touching it, possibly allowing you to control aura for a split second. Of course, this is just a hypothesis and I have no way of knowing for sure at the moment…"

Something had changed within Ash when he touched the egg. Something had awakened inside him, though at the time, he had no idea what it could have been. Whatever it was, Ash was certain it was there to stay.

The names 'Sir Aaron' and 'Lucario' echoed in his mind. They had a familiar ring to them, as if he had personally known such personalities some time in his life.

Ash tuned out Oak's voice as Riolu spoke to him. " _Can we go back outside?_ "

A user of aura could be granted the power of telepathy; that's what the Pokédex had said. Ash drew a deep breath and focused his thoughts to send a message to Riolu, imagining he was sending a message though the space between them.

" _Can you hear me?_ "

The Pokémon stared at him blankly and he sighed. Well, it was worth a try. Though he really should have known better than to leap to conclusions like that. What were the odds that he'd have the mythical power to use-

" _I can, but that doesn't really answer my question_." Riolu responded at last, sounding as confused as Ash was stunned.

Delia noticed his mouth hanging open. "Ash? Are you alright?"

Ash snapped his mouth shut. "Yeah, I'm fine." He said, failing to hide the excitement that was buzzing through him. " _You can understand what I'm saying?_ " He said in his head. Riolu stared at him, confused. Ash concentrated on the words and repeated the question.

Riolu's expression cleared and he nodded. " _Can we go outside now?_ "

"Yeah, we can!" Ash scooped the little Pokémon up in his arms and all but pranced toward the lab's doors.

"Are you sure you're okay?" Delia asked, voice filled with concern. "You kept staring into space and grimacing."

Ash shouted one last assurance that he was perfectly fine before the doors swung shut behind him. The Professor shared a look with Delia. "Delia, does he know about the armies?" He was hoping his theory wasn't true.

"No, Samuel. I've tried to protect him from that as much as possible." Delia answered honestly. She didn't want her son going out there fighting the Red and Green armies.

Oak sighed and pinched his nose. "It may be too late for that. Ash is a smart boy; give him some credit, my dear."

* * *

Outside, Riolu decided to teach Ash about Aura and how to form both empathy bonds and permanent connections with any Pokémon he may later capture.

The young Pokémon placed a tiny paw on Ash's chest and Ash gasped slightly as he felt a pull on his Aura. Riolu was forming an Aura bond with the boy and waited for him to finish it. Still unsure of what he was doing, Ash felt for his power and concentrated on it.

Noticing Riolu smile at his progress, Ash settled the bond and reinforced it for permanency.

" _It takes practice. You'll get there_."

Leaning forward a little, Ash pooled some Aura into his palm. He quickly released the pent up aura in a pulse that would initiate an empathy link.

The reaction was instant; his mind was suddenly filled with rushing images and emotions. A burning desire to become strong, confusion over being separated from a man, a thirst to be a Lucario again, to name a few.

Pushing past Riolu's emotions, Ash opened his heart and let it spill into Riolu. Ash had no idea what Riolu saw within him, but he could feel an overwhelming sense of belonging and loyalty build up in the jackal.

Taking this as a good sign, Ash used his aura to communicate across the empathy link. " _Will you join me on my journey and accept me as your trainer,_ _Riolu?_ " Hardly a moment passed between them, before Riolu nodded.

Ash let out a slight sigh of relief and pressed on. " _If you and I are going to be partners, then I would like to form an aura bond between us._ _W_ _ill you allow it?_ "

An aura bond was a technique many Aura Guardians used to bond with their Pokémon in a special and very unique way.

* * *

Meanwhile, back inside Professor Oak's lab, the researcher was still discussing things with Delia when the phone rang on Oak's desk.

Samuel picked it up, answering with: "Oak's laboratory, Samuel speaking."

At first, all that could be heard on the other end were the sounds of battle. Then, finally a voice spoke. "Samuel, is that you? It's Grimsley."

"Ah, Grimsley, it's good to hear from you. How are things in Unova?"

The Unovan Elite made a noise of derision and held the phone up to the raging battle behind him. "If you can't already tell, we're in trouble. Neck deep."

"I was just making conver-" Professor Oak attempted to explain, but was cut off by Grimsley.

"I know. I apologize for my behaviour. It's just these damn armies won't leave any of the regions alone; their forces keep increasing the more they conquer." The Dark type Elite paused for a moment, trying to regulate his breathing.

"Listen, are Delia and Ash there?" Grimsley didn't want to regret doing this, but he had to make sure his family were safe.

Samuel made a noise of agreement, understanding what the 'away' father was going through. "They are. Ash is outside with Riolu."

"Please get him; it's important that he hears this." Grimsley glanced again at the letter the new queen of Cameron Palace had sent him. She had sent it to the Elite Four of all the regions, hoping one of them was the father of their reincarnated hero.

If this was true, then his son – Ash – was the key to survival for all the regions. But he had to be sure Ash wanted to do this. He wasn't going to go into this battle plan and Ash refused to comply.

Ash eventually came to the phone. "Hi daddy."

Grimsley's heart melted.


	5. Captured

For a few moments, Ash couldn't hear his father's voice. The only sounds that came through were muffled shouts and screams. "Dad?" He was dimly aware of how shaky his voice sounded. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine. We're fine." Grimsley didn't sound as if he believed what he was saying. "Are you and your mother alright?"

Despite his father's conversational tone, Ash couldn't bring himself to feel relieved. "We're fine. What's happening?"

"Just a battle, don't worry about it." Something told Ash that he should be incredibly worried about it. His stomach sank as he listened to Grimsley's voice and the sound of battle. "Ash, listen; something might happen that will put you in danger. There are bad people in the world who have been causing trouble for a long time."

Ash's gaze slid over to his mother's worried expression. "Are… You okay?" The sound of an explosion blasted the receiver. Grimsley barked for his Liepard to launch a counterattack. Ash's fingers tightened around the phone. "Dad!"

"I'm fine." The man was breathless. "Ash, your mother told me you've captured a Riolu. Congratulations! They're incredibly elusive Pokémon."

"I didn't really catch him." Ash frowned. "And don't try and change the subject! Why are you fighting?"

"A simple skirmish; nothing drastic." Grimsley said dismissively as another explosion made Ash flinch. "Ash, listen. Things are probably going to change in the world. Things may start to get worse. Your mother and I wanted to protect you from the danger in an isolated place like Pallet Town, but-"

The phone on the other end dropped to the ground. Ash froze as he heard his father's voice shouting commands. An inhuman screech pierced his ears. It felt like a million years until he heard his dad's voice again.

"Neither of us wanted you to know about the armies this early." He sounded even more ragged than before. "We really didn't want you to have to get involved…"

Icy claws dug into Ash's chest and a shudder passed through his body. He wanted to say something, but he couldn't force his brain to form the right words.

"There's something special about you." Grimsley was saying, his voice barely audible over the roars of Pokémon and people. "You weren't always Ash Ketchum. You may have begun to sense that you were somebody else a long time ago: a powerful Aura Guardian by the name of Sir Aaron."

An invisible force slammed into Ash and he stumbled backward. He could see himself standing in the centre of a vortex of bodies, cape billowing behind him. The two opposing armies tore at each other, the air alive with bloodlust. He raised a hand, a shield made of energy springing up to protect a wounded Pokémon. A Lucario sailed through the air and landed in a crouch beside him.

" _Sir Aaron, the battle is futile! We must retreat!_ "

A second later, he was back in the laboratory. Riolu stood beside him, where the Lucario was, and took his hand in his paw. Ash felt his mother's hand on his shoulder.

"The queen of Cameron Palace is searching for you." In the midst of the battle, Elite Four Grimsley's voice cracked. "They believe you will be the one to end the conflict. I…" He quietened for a moment. "I don't want anyone to force you to take part against your will. You're a child. If you don't want to take responsibility, I swear I'll fight tooth and nail to protect your right to choose."

Riolu looked up at Ash with large red eyes. He was a baby; barely even a day old and unknowing of anything beyond the confines of Pallet Town. Come to think of it, he was much like Ash in that regard.

Hearing synchronized footsteps behind him, Grimsley hesitated. Delia took the phone and pressed the loudspeaker button.

Ash started to answer, but it was too late.

* * *

"I am a captain for the Red army. My men and I are taking you hostage." A voice declared as they heard the bellow of a Charizard – obviously the man's own. There was no doubt the fiery dragon-like beast was armoured.

Grimsley had barely a moment to press the release button on Liepard's ball, before two of the captain's men took him hostage. They placed metal cuffs around his hands, ready to claim his Pokémon as well.

But Grimsley had other ideas. "Go, Liepard! Run while you still can!"

The Dark type feline took off at once.

The captain swore. And slapped the Elite across the face once. "Don't just stand there!" He yelled at the men working under him. "Shoot it! Tranquilize it! Do something! I want that Liepard in the Red Army!"

Grimsley's face paled at hearing what they had planned for his former friend. Even Delia shook her head in horror.

"Oh and while we're at it, give me that!" The captain snatched the phone out of Grimsley's limited grip. He threw it on the ground and glanced at his Charizard. "You know what to do."

Realizing, Grimsley shouted: "No, don't!" just as Charizard breathed out flames.

* * *

As the phone connection crackled out and died, Delia broke down at the possibility of losing her husband. It was Professor Oak's firm, reassuring hand on her shoulder that somewhat kept her sane.

"I know it's tough, my dear, but Grimsley wouldn't want you to lose all your hope yet." Samuel spoke to her calmly, though he was a little worried. He suspected Grimsley would be able to escape from them at some point, but it would be a while and only through clever planning.

Through her sobbing, Delia replied. "I hope you're right. I couldn't bear to lose him."

* * *

Four years later, Ash was now ten. The capture of his father had quietened him a little, but he was still an energetic, sociable child. He had the start of his Pokémon team now: Riolu was a Lucario and the Froakie he had caught two weeks after the Red Army took his father hostage was a Greninja.

Currently, he was still Professor Oak's field researcher, as ten-year-olds were considered too young to be allowed out on their journeys. But he couldn't wait to actually set foot in Route One and beyond. He was so excited to be able to explore.

Ash understood the world better now and was disgusted at himself for not being able to actually stop the Armies before they had a chance to adapt as the centuries passed by. His previous self's memories had come more often after Grimsley was taken hostage and the extent the Armies had taken was shocking.

To be nearly at the Cameron Palace's doorstep, before his previous self decided sacrificing himself to try and stop them… "despicable". And those were Ash's own words. The Armies were clearly opportunists who took every chance they saw.

But this time around, they were being beaten.

Ash was going to fulfil the goal Sir Aaron couldn't and the Armies were going to be defeated. Once and for all. He'd grown weary of their presence in the regions; not to mention, they didn't belong in the present anyway.

They were a force from the past and they were going to go back to the past, if Ash had anything to do with it. They would also pay for taking his father hostage. Ash had an inkling it wasn't just his father they'd targeted, so he was going to form an army of his own and fight back.


	6. Setting Off

Waves crashed against the sand. Greninja darted under the sea's green waves, chasing fish and startling multiple Krabby. Ash watched from afar, pacing beneath a rocky cliff.

It was the place he had found Riolu's egg. With Lucario standing by his side, a dignified and intelligent partner, those times felt like they had happened an eternity ago. Lucario's searching red eyes fixed on Ash.

" _Are you certain you want to do this?_ "

Ash drew a shaky breath and nodded. Since his father's disappearance, the people of Pallet Town worked hard to keep Ash contained to his hometown and his mother refused to let the people of Cameron Palace take him away. Though he hated being idle, Ash knew he wouldn't have gotten far as a six-year-old with nothing but a baby Riolu and an inexperienced Froakie.

Finally, he could wait no longer. The Red and Green armies had torn the world apart long enough. It was time Ash did his duty.

His knuckles were white around the straps of his backpack. He had every map he could get his hands on, spare supplies of everything he may need and a Pokédex he had borrowed from Oak.

The professor knew there was no stopping Ash when he set his mind on something and with two evolved Pokémon by his side, the townsfolk wouldn't try to contain him any longer. There was only one person Ash needed to convince to let him go.

"Wait for me, okay?" He told his Pokémon.

Lucario dipped his head and Greninja gave a muffled ' _yep!_ ' from underwater.

Drawing a deep breath, Ash trudged back home for the last time.

"How was your day?" was his mother's greeting as he stepped through the door. "Do you need anything? Food? Bandages?" Although she made it clear she didn't approve of Ash's fixation on training, she supported him nonetheless as long as he never strayed far from home.

Ash opened his mouth, but no words came out. He'd rehearsed this conversation a million times in his head. He was prepared for this.

At least, that's what he'd thought.

"I…" He closed his eyes and forced himself to focus on the task at hand. "I need to go."

Delia appeared in the doorway, a frown on her face. "But you just got home!"

His mind drew a blank. His mother had already lost her husband; it wasn't fair for Ash to take her son away, too.

But it was her region that was in peril. Her world. It wasn't fair for Ash to let her truly lose everything.

"I can't stay here anymore."

Her voice was a whisper as it hit her. "Oh, Ash…"

He shook his head. How had he been able to put it into words before?

A memory from long ago nudged him. He knelt before a beautiful woman, a golden tiara nestled in her hair. His voice echoed, confident. " _To be a defender for our kingdom and for our world, that is the duty of an Aura Guardian_."

"Your duty?" Delia echoed and Ash realized that he'd said those words aloud. "You don't have a duty!"

Ash forced himself to look at his feet so he wouldn't have to see his mother's aura writhe in turmoil. "I have to do this."

"You're ten years old, you can't…" Her voice cracked. Ash forced himself to look into her tearful eyes. "Not you, too…"

"I want to do this." His voice was soft as he reassured his mother. "I'll call you at the Pokémon Centre of every city I reach."

And he would keep his promise no matter what happened. If the Red and Green armies thought taking over the regions would be easy, then they hadn't met truly met him and the army he would gather.

Reluctantly, Delia stepped forward, after wiping away a tear. "Alright then. I'll hold you to that." She paused. "Please travel well."

The woman hugged her son tightly for what she believed was the last time, embracing him for a few moments, before letting go.

Ash noticed she was teary again, but that just strengthened his resolve instead of breaking it, like most people would expect to happen. "Thanks, mum. I will."

Ash turned and said goodbye to his mother as he exited the house. Gritting his teeth to fight back the tears, he ran towards where he last left Lucario and Greninja. As he expected, his partners were still there waiting for him.

Lucario noticed the sadness in his aura and the way his face was slightly scrunched up. " _Did it not go as planned?_ "

"… She didn't want to lose me," Ash finally answered, after regaining control of his emotions. He understood how his mother felt, but nothing was going to stop him from saving the regions and his father.

Greninja finally came out of the water and shook himself once to get any excess water droplets off of his body. "We're ready to go whenever you are." The best thing about his connection with Greninja was that their Battle Bond could be utilized in or out of Greninja changing form.

Ash breathed in once to help calm himself even more, before letting it out. "Okay, I'm ready."

He ran his fingers over the empty Poké Balls at his waist, knowing he'd meet more Pokémon eventually. He wasn't going to be satisfied with just two, after all.

Who would be?

* * *

A week later, Ash, Lucario and Greninja were on Route Two. He had captured a Dratini and a Charmander and had trained them extensively. His heart had gone out to the Charmander, after learning he had been abandoned by his former trainer.

Part of him worried that that would cause disobedience issues down the track, but he was sure he could handle it. He'd been able to handle Riolu and Froakie's evolutions, after all; a bit of disobedience should be no problem.

If there was one thing Ash dreamed of constantly, it was getting all of the Kanto starters. Now, his dream was becoming a reality. He couldn't believe his luck.

Ash checked over his two newest additions again, making sure they were okay after their latest battle against a Spearow.

" **We're good, Ash. Thanks for worrying, though**." The female Dratini responded in a trill.

Ash patted her head. "Okay."

Wanting Charmander and Dratini to build up their endurance, he left them out to run laps back and forth. Ash kept an eye on them, as he did his own push ups and squats in order to stay fit alongside his Pokémon.

Eventually, when he saw that they were tiring, he stopped them and fed them some berries. "We'll stop for the night and keep going in the morning to Pewter. Sound good?"

" **Sure**." Dratini and Charmander chorused in unison.

Greninja watched silently and Lucario did not feel the need to add his contribution. Everything was going as they planned.

* * *

 **Just a note in case anyone's having trouble working out what's going on**.

 **1\. This is a reincarnation! AU, as well as an aged up! AU, so by the time Ash meets a travelling companion, he will be older than he is in canon**.

 **2\. He will be capturing all of his canon Pokémon, as well as many non-canon ones – the first of which you saw in this chapter**.

 **3\. All of his Pokémon will be evolving. Yes, even Bulbasaur and Squirtle. Regarding the starters, I will be leaving their evolutions for as long as possible. Bulbasaur will evolve after Celadon, Charmander during the battle with Koga and Squirtle in between Celadon and Fuchsia**.

 **4\. Ash will be obtaining access to Mega Evolution in this trilogy, but I'm not sure if he'll be able to use it at this point in time**.


	7. First Serious Battle

Ash slumped down onto the grass, sweaty back pressed against a rough tree trunk. The day had been agonisingly hot and within an hour of walking, his team was already panting and desperate for a break.

Dratini giggled as Greninja sprayed her with water. Ash welcomed the cool droplets against his burning skin. Charmander ducked behind a boulder as Greninja tried to splash the fire lizard and Ash couldn't help but laugh at his melodramatic panic.

"Ten minutes and then we'll keep going." Ash told his Pokémon. He wasn't sure how safe it was to sleep out in the woods at night, and he didn't feel experienced enough to give it a try.

He was trying to coax Charmander out from his hiding place with a half-eaten biscuit when a crash sounded in the distance. Ash shot to his feet, eyes fixed in the direction the noise had come from. The rest of his Pokémon were instantly on edge.

To minimize the sound they would make travelling in a group, Ash returned all but Lucario to their balls and crept toward where he had heard the commotion, Lucario behind him.

As they drew nearer, Ash could hear shouting. Flashes of colour flickered between the trees up ahead. A woman in a green military uniform stood beside an armoured Breloom, her arms folded as she surveyed the small crowd of people before her.

"I don't care what your Gym Leader thinks, the Green Army needs your resources!" she snapped. Ash guessed the people to be villagers and his eyes fell on one of the many crates they had been carrying. "You've been supplying coal to the Red Army." The general kicked at one of the crates, a look of distaste on her face. "Did your Gym Leader command this? Perhaps I should teach him a lesson."

One person spoke up, voice filled with panic: "A soldier approached us. H-he threatened us, said that we had to or else-"

"Whatever." The woman waved her hand dismissively, "What I see is that Pewter City wants the Red Army to destroy us all. You only care about your pathetic town and not the future of our world." She turned to her Breloom. "Jupiter, Sky Uppercut!"

"Aura Sphere!"

Ash needn't have said anything, Lucario had already formed a blue ball of aura in his paws. Jupiter turned his head as the light caught his eye and the attack hit him square in the chest.

The general spun around to face them. Her shocked expression melted into one of malice once more. "What do you want?" she spat.

"I want you to leave these people alone." Despite the confidence in his voice, Ash found his hand drifting to the Poké Balls at his waist. Lucario and Greninja were his strongest Pokémon, but they also shared a weakness against both Breloom's typings. Although Lucario's attack had taken the Pokémon by surprise, it didn't seem to have caused significant damage to it.

The general didn't look at all fazed by Ash's words. "I've served in the Green Army all my life. I've lived on the frontlines of combat. I've seen allies and enemies die before me. Do you really think I'm intimidated by a little punk with a blue dog?"

Ash bit back a retort. Although he had trained his Pokémon extensively, he had no idea the power level of a real Red or Green army's commander. He wasn't about to recklessly throw himself into battle, but he couldn't leave innocent people to get hurt.

He sent out Charmander and the general barked a laugh. "Seriously? You really have a death wish, don't you?"

Jupiter darted toward Charmander with another Sky Uppercut. Ash raised a hand and drew a deep breath. He focused on the air between the two Pokémon. He could almost see an invisible barrier springing up between them. His fingers curled and he solidified the wall.

The Breloom smashed into the aura shield.

Ash didn't wait for it to recover. "Smokescreen!" In an instant, the clearing was enveloped in smog.

He had only seconds to plan, before the Breloom cleared the smoke. Should he stay and fight or help the people escape?

"Time's up, boy!" The Green Army Commander kept her voice raised, as Jupiter tore through the haze with no trouble whatsoever.

Ash made up his mind: he ran. Recalling Charmander and whistling to Lucario and Greninja, Ash fled. Of course, the woman would be displeased with him. "You're nothing but a coward, boy!"

" _Ash, are you alright?_ " Lucario questioned his partner. He figured Ash would go back and help the civilians later, but he wanted to know how the trainer was faring at the moment.

Ash nodded shakily once they were a distance away, realizing the woman hadn't sent her partner after them.

"I'll be okay. Thanks for asking, Lucario." The boy answered his Pokémon. There was no way he was going to leave the civilians to being subjected to the Commander's ire. He would go back to help them; but for now, he would take the time to plan his next move.

 _She would've gone from that area come dusk_ , Ash thought, _so I'll return at that time and somehow help the civilians get to Brock. He might be able to better tell me what exactly is going on_. "Because I'm not really buying her spiel about them aiding the Red Army..."

" _Why would Pewter be supplying to the Red Army anyway?_ " Lucario asked. That was the one thing he didn't understand. From what he had gathered, Pewter was a neutral city. So unless the Red Army had blackmailed Brock into supplying for them, Pewter would not do it _willingly_ at all.

Ash contemplated Lucario's words, nodding eventually. "Blackmail is a possibility…" The boy mulled over any other possible leads. Every time he thought he had a lead, he would dismiss it after analyzing it quickly. "Hmm, not coming up with anything else. That's not good. Luc, can you pick anything up from the local Pokémon?"

Lucario was silent as he focused on reading the aura of any Pokémon who was nearby. When he finally opened his eyes and stared at his master, his eyes were blazing with anger. " _Apparently, they wanted to sell_ _Pokémon_ _on the black market and Pewter refused_."

"Ah..." Ash set his mouth in a very thin line. That he would _not_ tolerate. Pewter was not only being victimized, but blackmailed as well. Where was the League when a city needed help? Ash snorted in disgust at the League's narrow-minded perspective. "Not if I can help them today."

" _Ash, we're going to need a plan, unless you're already thinking of one_." Lucario warned. He didn't like this reckless attitude his master had, but understood it was for a worthy cause. What was he really saying, though? Ash was always this reckless, moreso when civilians needed to be helped.

 _Them or innocent_ _Pokémon_ , Lucario sighed. He realized he couldn't really do anything to stop Ash, only support him. With the decision made, he glanced at Ash to learn what the rest of his plan would be regarding their enemy.

As Ash explained his plan to Lucario, the Pokémon nodded.

Now, they just waited until dusk fell, which was still a couple of hours off yet. While they waited, Ash filled in all of his partners about what he wanted them to do. He expected them to all play a part and to give it their all in the battle.


	8. Sabotage part 1

Ash knew by now that head-on brute force against trained soldiers was a bad idea. Neither he nor his Pokémon were experienced or stupid enough to attempt a blind charge into battle against the enemy. Despite his conscience telling him it wasn't fair to play dirty, Lucario had to remind him that it wasn't like the army was being entirely fair, either.

The aura Pokémon and Greninja had left to scout out the surrounding area, leaving Ash alone with Dratini and Charmander. Although the two unevolved Pokémon were strong enough to fend off the forest's wild Pokémon with ease, Ash found himself jumping at any disturbance he detected in the aura around him until the rest of his team returned. Lucario appeared first, and Ash felt his body relax when he noticed his aura nearby.

" _You were right, there are Red Army soldiers everywhere. The Green Army has a camp to the east, though. It looks like they plan on invading in the future_."

Ash nodded, though the latter information was irrelevant to him for the time being. He made a mental note to warn the city, though. "What about the Pokémon?"

" _From what I can see, Pewter doesn't look like it's actively supplying them with_ _Pokémon_ _. But it appears the Red Army's going ahead and taking some regardless. There was a building on the edge of the city between there and the camp from which I sensed distressed_ _Pokémon_ _. As they weren't in their balls, I assume they belong to local trainers_."

Ash was unable to conceal his disgusted scowl. "That's where we'll go first." He said, forcing himself to concentrate on the matter at hand. "Did you find anything else?"

Lucario tipped his head to one side. " _There was a man in one of the tents, his aura alive with fury. He appeared to have been negotiating with a captain. The captain was threatening that he could harm some people if he failed to comply_."

"Do you think that could have been Brock?" Ash asked, thinking of important people who the Red Army would have wanted to control. The thought of his father still in their clutches crept to the forefront of his mind and he felt sick.

Lucario shrugged but didn't say anything. A second later, Ash detected a flicker of bright blue aura and Greninja landed silently beside them.

" _The last of the Green Army people are gone!_ " He announced. " _Also, they look like they're trying to weasel their way into the city from the west. They took forever to leave! They're all looking so paranoid_."

"I can't blame them." Ash noted. "Their enemies are right on the other side of the city." He frowned. "We need to make sure we don't attract too much attention. The last thing we want is for Pewter City to get caught in a battle between two armies."

A collective wince rippled through the group and they voiced their agreement. Ash glanced up at the purple sky lit by the sun's final rays and shivered, drawing his jacket closer around him. His insides churned.

Red.

He hated the colour. The colour of blood and rust and anger.

Images his young mind had conjured over the years swam to the surface. What was happening to his father? What did the Red Army to do him after his message to Ash was cut off?

No, he couldn't think of that. He felt terrible for it, but he forced himself to bury the scenes that played in his mind. They weren't doing anybody any good. Instead, he kept his gaze determined as he looked across the mountainside at the lights of the Red and Green Army's camps burning on either side of the city.

It was now or never.

"If anything goes wrong, don't stay and fight." Ash briefed them. "This is sabotage, not a battle." Sabotage. The word was bitter in his mouth. "Once you've finished your mission, get out of there as soon as possible. We'll meet back here."

Charmander rolled his eyes. " _If anybody's gonna screw up, it won't be me_." He looked away when he caught sight of his team's unamused expressions. " _Uh, I mean, I'll do my best?_ "

"Better than nothing, I guess." Ash muttered, looking at each of his Pokémon in turn. "Are you guys ready?" They nodded in unison. "Alright, let's go."

* * *

Ash and Greninja crouched behind a pile of boulders, mere metres away from the Red Army's camp. The place buzzed with auras of all colours, though he could sense most of them were beginning to slow down as the night went by and the soldiers began to tire.

He felt naked without the company of Lucario, but they needed him over where the Green Army camped. Ash found himself constantly checking his aura, faint in the distance. Though he tried not to think about it, concern that he'd encountered the general from earlier and her Breloom loomed like a dark cloud at the back of his mind. Ash knew that if spotted, he'd be recognised in an instant.

As if he could read his mind, Greninja patted him on the shoulder with a slimy hand, "Don't worry about Luc." He assured his trainer. "He's smart. And tough. He can handle it."

Ash hummed, his worries still not put to ease. The fact that a few tents away, he could see a writhing mass of terrified aura belonging to the captured pokemon Lucario had mentioned wasn't helping ease his nerves in the slightest.

A light in the distance drew his attention. A few moments later, he felt a glimmer of curiosity spread across the people in the camp. Small at first, but the longer they watched the light bounce across the craggy cliffs, the more it grew. Murmurs began to reach his ears.

"What's that?"

"What are they up to?"

"Is this a bad thing? Would the boss want to know about this?"

The whispers erupted into cries of alarm when a shrub burst into flames. Shrieks of panic flooded the air as the surrounding trees were set alight. Ash cringed. Charmander was supposed to dance around as a distraction, but it looked like he had gotten carried away. Ash just hoped he could escape the wave of soldiers charging in his direction. Out of the corner of his eye, he caught sight of Dratini slithering into the captured Pokémon's tent.

Heart in his mouth, Ash sucked in a deep breath and forced his shaking legs to move. He stuck to the shadows, though he needn't have bothered. Soldiers thundered past him in their desperation to put out the fire before it reached the camp, thoughts of invading trainers absent from their minds.

He and Greninja jolted from hiding place to hiding place. The colour of hundreds of auras blotted his vision. His head spun.

He was among soldiers of the Red Army.

He shook his head, but that only served to make him even more dizzy. He had to stay focused.

Charmander was keeping the soldiers busy as Dratini worked to release Pewter City's stolen Pokémon. Lucario was keeping the Green Army away from the commotion so nobody would get hurt in the crossfire. His father was still alive. He knew because every few months, he got to see his bloody and beaten face on the TV as the Red Army screamed their threats and hatred toward anybody who dared to oppose them-

Gritting his teeth, Ash forced his eyes to see what everybody else did. He could finally see clearly, but without aura to guide him, he couldn't navigate the camp as well.

Greninja pulled him behind a stack of boxes. " _Breathe_."

"I'm fine." Ash muttered, ready to run to the next tent, but Greninja held him back.

" _What is it? Is something wrong?_ "

Ash bit down hard on his lip. What was he thinking? How did he think he could do this? It was a miracle they had gotten this far! They were like worms trying to sneak through a nest of Pidgey; any second they could be discovered.


	9. Sabotage part 2

And if they were…

" _Ash!_ " Greninja's voice snapped him back. His eyes were pools of fear. " _What's happened? Should we retreat?_ "

Ash shook his head, numb. He was a kid. A stupid kid who thought he could play a hero. But it was too late for them to turn tail and run.

And oh great Arceus, his plan was terrible. It was awful. Even if they did survive this, he and his team were going to be hunted until the day they died. Why did he think this was a good idea? He knew exactly why. Because he thought that since his team had potential and he could perform some cool magic tricks, he could take on the entire world.

How long had it been since Charmander had started his distraction? Five minutes? Ten? Thirty? Whatever it was, they were running out of time. If they hesitated, they would fail. Pewter City would suffer.

His tongue felt like lead, but he was able to choke out a "Let's go." And stagger out of a sentry's line of sight.

He landed heavily on his knees and drew in deep, slow breaths. His fingers dug into the spongy ground beneath him. He wasn't going to give up now. He couldn't. His father depended on him. His mother, Pewter City, and the world. He couldn't afford to fail. He was going to be the one to put an end to it all. And his enemies had to know it.

He and Greninja ducked behind another tent. He jumped, blood turning to ice at the shout from inside and he practically melted in relief when he realised it wasn't directed at him.

"You wouldn't! You can't sink that low!"

An exasperated sigh followed. "We've been through this. It's a simple two-way deal. You provide us with resources and Pokémon and we protect you and your people from the real enemy. It's really not that hard."

"Yeah, you're making my decision much easier by holding the lives of my family over my head."

The other person clicked their tongue. "I did warn you. I never wanted it to come to this, but you know how much we need Pewter City, Brock. It's your own selfishness that drove me to do this."

Ash clenched his fists, eyes squeezing shut. He was barely aware of Greninja's concerned glance and the sharp bite of his nails digging into the flesh of his palms.

Lucario was miles away in enemy territory.

Charmander was probably being chased by a horde of warriors.

Dratini was in the heart of the Red Army's camp, with only a short window of time to release the captive Pokémon before a guard returned to the tent.

An innocent man was being threatened with the safety of his family so an army could get the upper hand in a war that had lasted for centuries.

Grimsley was somewhere in the world, held captive by a force far stronger than Ash. This army had taken him from Deliah Ketchum and his son.

Across the planet, battles were being fought. In filthy trenches, soldiers faced each other, locked in stalemates, neither side daring to be the first to order the slaughter of countless people and Pokémon.

He should have noticed his Pokémon backing away from him. He should have noticed a soldier's yell of alarm when her eyes fell on him. He didn't realize what was happening until it was too late.

His aura was a blinding white blaze around him. His eyes flew open and he whirled around, hand thrusting outward. A blade of aura sliced through the tent and the man in a red uniform leapt out of the way just in the nick of time before his torso could be torn from his legs.

The other man in the tent spun to face Ash, eyes wide. Ash was barely able to meet his terrified yet grateful gaze when he felt his legs give way from beneath him. Greninja caught him just before he hit the ground.

Somehow, he gathered the strength to lift his head and look the captain in the eye. "My name is Ash Ketchum, spirit of Sir Aaron. I am the enemy of Red and Green alike."

There was much more he had planned to say, but his vision was filled with dark blots and he could hardly force another word out. Greninja was saying something, but he sounded so far away.

The light of torches whipped past him. He was being carried by someone. Lights exploded in the darkness and the world was filled with the snarls of Pokémon.

Ash was jostled and through his fading vision, he could see Water Shurikens spinning through the air as Greninja struggled to fight with one hand and carry his master with the other.

He wanted to say something, but his mouth refused to move. The image of red tents and red armour seared itself into his brain, and a final image of his father's broken body being swarmed by soldiers swam across his mind before he couldn't keep his eyes open any longer.

When he came to, it was still dark, but he was immediately aware of something near him. Ash moved to sit up, but the young adult leaned forward fluidly and pressed a hand against the boy's chest, making it clear he shouldn't move yet. "That was pretty reckless. But you did well. My city was saved because of you."

"Ah… Thanks." Ash awkwardly replied as he lay back down. "Did they leave?"

The man shook his head. "Not yet, but they will be. They underestimated Sir Aaron's fighting spirit, but they were forcefully reminded tonight. The name's Brock. You seriously are a prodigy, Ash Ketchum."

The boy blushed, his face becoming so red it wasn't funny. He rubbed the back of his neck in embarrassment. "I don't know about that..."

"I mean it, you are. You've done Sir Aaron proud and Pewter City, too." Brock asked if there was anything Ash needed.

Ash thought for a moment and then nodded. "Yeah, I need Charmander and Dratini trained up a bit more. I'd like Charmander close to evolution before I press on with my mission."

Brock blinked and stared at the boy. "Your mission?"

The Red and Green Armies made this personal by taking my father hostage, so they're gonna get a world of pain in return." Ash vowed, his expression grim.

Brock looked away for a period of time, before he spoke again. "You seem pretty set on your mission, so I'm not going to steer you away from it. But I will give you some advice. Seek allies in the cities' leaders. Even cities you've passed through already will still help you if you just let us know."

Ash nodded in respect of Brock's advice. It seemed pretty sound, so he would take it on board for his quest.


	10. PokeNapped

"Come on, start running!"

Charmander ignored Ash's command as he hopped through the grass, eyes glowing as bright as the flame on his tail. " _Did you see what I did_?" he chirped, scampering over to Lucario. " _There were all those soldiers and they were chasing me and_ -"

" _Nobody could see you_ ," Dratini interrupted dryly. " _If we stopped to watch you, we'd all have been captured_."

Charmander puffed his chest indignantly and scowled. Ash winced, trying to force himself back into the conversation before things could get sour. "You all did great the other night," he said. "But the fight's not over. We won because we caught the Red Army by surprise. Next time we meet them, we might not be so lucky."

Lucario stepped up to stand beside Ash. " _He's right_." He told Charmander and Dratini. " _The two of you are aware of our objective: to bring this senseless war to an end and we expect you to cooperate. However, your participation is your choice. If you don't want to take this mission seriously, you may leave_."

Ash stared at Lucario in wordless shock. His partner was certainly mature beyond his years and could be incredibly no-nonsense, but he didn't expect him to say something like that to the rest of his team.

" _What are you doing_?" Ash demanded telepathically.

" _Watch_." Was all Lucario said.

Charmander's aura spasmed, first in surprise. Ash looked on as it twitched, harsh oranges and reds flashing among ripples of white fury. Then, he heard the lizard heave a sigh and his aura calmed, settling to a cool green only occasionally flickering with irritation as he accepted Lucario's words.

" _Right, right, sorry_." He muttered. " _I'll shut up_ …"

"Thanks for listening," Ash said.

The warm blue glow of Greninja's aura flickered across his mind and the water-type dropped from the branches above and landed soundlessly between the two of them. " _I don't want you to panic or anything, but the Red Army is on the move_."

Ash's blood turned to ice. "They're coming here?"

" _No, they're just moving away from Pewter and toward Cerulean_."

Ash let out a shaky breath, his heart still pounding from the initial surprise. "Then why did you tell me not to panic?"

" _It had nothing to do with my next statement, I just also didn't want you to panic_." Greninja said. Ash groaned, planting his face into his palm. " _I mean, you were pretty stressed out when we were in their camp, so_ …"

"It's fine, it's fine," Ash said. "Just… Please think before you say something like that."

" _Right, sorry_." Greninja looked mareepishly at the ground. " _What do we do now_?"

"I guess we make more allies," he said. "Brock said that the leaders of the other cities might want to team up with us. I mean, the Red and Green armies have been terrorising them for ages. They'd appreciate some help."

Greninja nodded. " _I'd appreciate the extra training. Plus, Charmander and Dratini really need it_."

" _Hey, we're right here_!" Dratini protested.

"We all need training," Ash told her and cast a warning glare in Greninja's direction. "Dratini, do you think you could take Charmander to scout ahead? Mt Moon is probably crawling with Red soldiers, and I don't feel like walking into an ambush."

Dratini's eyes shone. " _Sure thing! Try and keep up, Charmander_!"

With that, she shot across the route faster than Ash had ever seen her slither. Charmander gave an irritated shout before giving chase.

" _Are you sure they'll be safe_?" Lucario asked. " _Neither of them can read nearby auras and they're not exactly the subtlest pair, you know._ "

Ash shrugged and followed the two lizards at a more casual pace. "They need to learn somehow."

" _Of course. I just don't want our precious allies to be captured by sadists._ "

"The Reds who capture them might not be sadists."

" _They shouldn't be captured in the first place_!"

"Hey, I trust them to not be stupid."

" _I don't think any amount of trust can make those two less stupid,_ " Greninja snickered.

Ash groaned. He was under enough stress having to battle the forces of two armies already – the last thing he needed was for his own allies to start fighting. "Can you lay off them? Dratini and Charmander have enough to worry about without you teasing them."

Greninja held up his webbed hands in surrender. " _That was mean, sorry. They just make such easy targets._ "

"Give Charmander a few more levels and you won't be laughing anymore."

Greninja was midway through a retort when a blinding red flashed across Ash's vision. He staggered and Dratini's cry erupted between his temples.

" _Help! There's-_ "

Her voice snapped into silence. Ash's heart raced.

" _Dratini? Dratini! Charmander_!" His telepathy screamed into emptiness.

Lucario cursed. Without another word, he raced down the route, Ash behind him. Spiky grass scraped his bare face and he didn't care enough to raise a hand to wipe the blood away. If anything happened to his Pokémon, he'd never forgive himself. How could he even try to save his father if he couldn't save his own Pokémon?

Greninja leaped ahead, a Water Shuriken spinning in his hands. He hurled it through the undergrowth and a shriek pierced the air as it hit its target.

They burst into the clearing just in time for an oncoming Whirlwind attack to engulf them. Lucario grabbed a hold of Ash and Greninja and pulled them to safety before they could be swept away. The moment Ash's feet found solid ground once more, his hand shot out and an aura barrier closed around the clearing. It was only up for a few seconds, but it was enough time for his Pokémon to catch up with the attacker.

Ash swayed on his feet, weakened by his own powers but determined to stay upright in the face of whoever hurt Dratini and Charmander. Lucario dragged a squirming trainer out from the bushes and Ash's guard dropped in surprise when he saw it wasn't a soldier, but a girl about his age. She clung to Dratini's unconscious body as if her life depended on the little dragon.

"Back off! The Dratini's mine – I found it first!"

Ash retrieved Dratini's ball and recalled her. "Where's Charmander?"

As soon as he said it, Greninja hopped after Lucario with Charmander slung over his shoulder. " _He's just dazed. Otherwise, he's fine._ "

The thief went red, defiance drained in a matter of seconds. "I didn't know they were _your_ Pokémon…"

"You were still going to steal them."

"I thought they coulda been wild or something." She kicked at the ground and looked around as if trying to think up a way to outrun both Lucario and Greninja. "Look, it's not every day you see a dragon, so can you blame me? Those things can do some real damage against the Reds and Greens."

Ash laughed, agreeing with the girl. _That's so true_.

Then, he spoke again. "If you don't mind me asking, who are you? I haven't seen you around." Ash watched the girl casually, aware that Lucario and Greninja were still by his side.

"Leaf." The girl answered, on edge for no apparent reason.

 _Arceus, what is wrong with this girl?_ Grimsley's son wondered as he stared at Leaf. Ash didn't know what the girl had been through to make her on edge when someone asked her name, but guessed it wasn't pretty. Could she have been abused? He would never know; unless he learned it from her naturally.

 _Great Arceus_.


	11. Unexpected Surprise

**A/N** : Prompt for ch 10 was suspect and this chapter's prompt is skin.

* * *

Leaf didn't know this boy from the next random stranger she encountered, but his simple question had instantly put her on edge. _Why was that?_ The rebel girl mused to herself, unable to understand why he affected her like this.

All she wanted to do was get to Cerulean City safely and help Misty's guerrilla group fend off the Green Army. The citizens were living in fear and the previous Gym Leader had been deposed.

To counter the awkwardness she felt, Leaf focused her gaze on the boy. "So who are you?" She almost snapped, remembering at the last second the boy had not yet done anything to her and so, she would give him the benefit of the doubt.

"My father is Unova's Grimsley." The boy started introducing himself. "My name is Ash..." Here, he hesitated, wondering if he should mention the other thing. While he debated internally over that, Leaf spoke again.

"You're an Elite Four member's child?!" Leaf glanced at his Lucario and Greninja, amazed. How long had he been training them?

Ash nodded, seeing her amazed expression. "I am. But that's not all there is to me." He paused and gave her a hard stare, needing to know if he could trust her with this secret. "I'm going to tell you something but, before I do, I want you to swear you won't tell a soul. Not a single person."

Leaf's expression changed to uncertainty and she took a step back. "W-What is it?" She asked, her voice breaking. "Remember I don't personally know you."

Ash licked his lips nervously, knowing this could go so wrong if Leaf got taken hostage. "Don't get caught by the enemy, is the first thing I'm going to say." He warned, gathering his courage to say the next thing. Ash didn't know how he was going to pull this off and not get a bad reaction from Leaf.

Taking some steadying breathes, he managed to calm his nerves enough. "Okay, so… I'm not just Grimsley's son. I'm also the reincarnation of Sir Aaron, the hero who gave his life to stop the Red and Green Armies of his time."

Leaf blinked and took this information on board. "Why are the Armies here in this time?"

"… I don't honestly know." Ash commented, thinking back on his history with them. He couldn't remember ever being told anything and he was quite perplexed. "I guess their disharmony with each other overrode my attempt to stop them… They continued fighting and had descendants."

 _Which made my sacrifice worthless_. Ash couldn't believe the extent to which the Armies would go.

Leaf nodded slowly. "That makes sense, but also made your attempt-"

"Please don't say it. I've already realized this myself, so I'm going to have to try harder to stop them this time around." Ash pleaded quietly, voice cracking.

"Of course. I'm sorry." Leaf apologized, not having thought her words through straight away and regretted what she had almost said. She fell quiet, the silence between them becoming awkward until she thought of an idea. "Where are you on your way to next?"

Ash looked up after a moment. "Cerulean City to see if the Gym Leader needs help." He answered, his chest heaving a little from the buried grief resurfacing as a shaky sob.

 _He'll need help and I owe him for hurting his feelings. Big time_. Leaf decided and made her mind up. "I'll come with you." Besides, there was a good chance a strong trainer like Ash could snag her a powerful Pokémon on the way there.

Ash nodded and blinked rapidly; Leaf guessed he was trying to wipe away his tears before they had the chance to surface.

Even if she didn't care, she assumed Ash may have been embarrassed at tearing up in front of a stranger. To save him from any said embarrassment, she grabbed his hand and dragged him down the route. "Come on, no time to waste!"

"Hey, slow down!" Ash fumbled for his Charmander's Poké Ball and Leaf swore she heard the Greninja snicker.

Mt. Moon rose from the earth like a pimple. A giant ugly pimple made out of stone and Zubat. Leaf had never been a huge fan of caves and always preferred to detour around the place whenever she needed to head to Pewter City. But with Ash and his Pokémon at her side, she expected the trip to be a breeze.

Ash held Charmander's semi-conscious body in his arms and Leaf kept close to his side. The flame on Charmander's tail was barely enough to make a dent in the darkness. Every glint of firelight against stone looked like the blink of a predator's eyes.

"Do you think you could let go?"

Leaf squinted at Ash's silhouette. "What?"

"Let go of my arm!"

She hadn't realized how hard she'd been clinging to Ash's arm. She sheepishly dropped her arms to her sides and tried not to think of the bruises that were sure to form soon.

Ash sighed. "Let's just get though here."

It was easier said than done. Even with the help of Lucario's aura-detecting powers, they found themselves against more dead ends than they cared to count. At least nothing attacked them while they stumbled through the dark caves. Most wild Pokémon vanished the moment Greninja and Lucario stepped into view.

After what felt like a million years of twisting tunnels abruptly ending in unmoving walls, the passage opened up into a wide cavern. A crack in the ceiling spilled a welcome waterfall of sunlight that lit up the inside of the mountain like a giant floodlight.

Ash shoved something cold and hard into her chest and she held it up to the light to see it better. A Poké Ball.

"I'd prefer it if you caught your own Pokémon instead of stealing mine." He said.

Leaf grinned. "Looks like you've ended my life of crime," she teased.

Her eyes fell on a Clefairy at the edge of the cavern. She couldn't believe her luck: a cute rare Pokémon that hadn't heard them approach. She thanked Arceus for the easy catch and hurled the Poké Ball with everything she had.

The Clefairy gave a startled squeak and ducked. The ball smacked into the rock behind it and split open with a blinding red flash. Leaf's heart stopped as the Geodude it hit was sucked inside.

"A Geodude? Are you kidding?" Leaf hissed though her teeth. She'd look like a blundering clod beside Misty's graceful strength.

Ash frowned. "What's wrong with Geodude?"

"Are you blind? I wanted a Clefairy!"

"Don't be so picky!"

"Easy for you to say; you're the one with all the cool Pokémon!"

Ash opened his mouth to snap back when the sound of voices echoed through the air. Lights lit up the mouth of a nearby tunnel and two uniformed people appeared across the cavern from them.

Red Army goons and their Fire type Pokémon.

Leaf glared at the ground so she wouldn't have to look at Ash's smug expression. "You still think a Geodude is useless?" He asked.


End file.
